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Equity & DivErsity ANNuAL rEPOrt 2013

r E s E rv E BA N K O F Aus t rAL i AR

Contents

Foreword 1

Introduction 3

Diversity Initiatives and Profile 7

Work-life Balance 7

Gender 10

Age 13

Disability 15

Indigenous Australians 16

Race-ethnicity 17

Appendices 19

Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee Terms of Reference 19

Statistical Tables 21

Equity & Diversity Annual Report

2013

1equity & diversity annual report | SEPTEMBER 2013

Foreword

The Reserve Bank aims to ensure that all employees are treated with dignity and respect, and that they experience equal opportunity throughout their career in the Bank. It does so by implementing policies, guidelines and programs that support equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and by ensuring that employees are aware of their rights, responsibilities and opportunities.

The Bank endeavours to build an inclusive workplace as it relates to work-life balance, gender, age, disability, Indigenous Australians and race-ethnicity as reflected in the Diversity Plan 2012–2015.

Going forward, the challenge for the Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee will be to ensure that the Bank meets the equity and diversity related needs of its employees through its Diversity Plan for 2012–2015.

Keith Hall

Chairperson

Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee

2 ReseRve Bank of austRalia


This is the 26th Equity & Diversity Annual Report of the Reserve Bank of Australia (the Bank), as required under section 9 of the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987. The reporting period covers 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013.

Approach to Diversity The Bank aims to embed equity, diversity and inclusion principles in its work practices and organisational environment. To ensure that these practices remain appropriate, the Bank annually reviews its workforce diversity profile, the take-up of its existing policies and programs, as well as any relevant external developments. This analysis also underpins the initiatives set out in the Bank’s newly developed Diversity Plan 2012–2015. The four priorities of the Plan are to:

• raise awareness of unconscious bias within the workplace to promote the quality of employment-related decision-making

• facilitate access to flexible work arrangements

• understand the factors influencing the career experience of women

• explore the needs of the maturing workforce, and use that information to assist in workplace planning and corporate knowledge retention.

The priorities reflect the expanded coverage of diversity over time due to legislative and societal changes and a greater emphasis on workplace culture and values.

The layout of this Annual Report reflects these priorities, as well as the need to focus on the designated groups defined in the Act – women, people with a disability, people of a non-English speaking background and Indigenous Australians.

Responsibility for Equity and DiversityThe Bank’s Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee is a consultative body which includes representatives from management, employees, Human Resources and the Finance Sector Union. The Committee makes recommendations on equity and diversity matters to the Governor, and is responsible for monitoring the development and implementation of equity and diversity initiatives. The Committee reports annually on these matters to the Governor and the Bank’s executive management. The Terms of Reference for the Committee and its membership are set out in the Appendices.

Responsibilities also extend beyond the Committee:

• Executive management is responsible for the implementation of equity, diversity and inclusion activities and performance within their areas.

Introduction


• All employees are required to ensure that their actions in the workplace are consistent with the Bank’s equity, diversity and inclusion principles.

• Human Resources provides specialist advice as well as support to assist in the development and implementation of the Bank’s Diversity & Inclusion Program.

• Diversity Contact Managers are responsible for monitoring the implementation of diversity initiatives in their respective departments (which they report to the Committee), and for acting as intermediaries between the Committee and employees.

• The Accessibility Consultative Group makes practical suggestions for improvements to the accessibility of computing systems, information and building facilities. Representatives of this body are drawn from relevant departments (namely Information Technology, Information Department, Facilities Management Department and Human Resources) and other interested employees.

Promoting Diversity For equity, diversity and inclusion principles to be integrated into all work practices, employees must be well informed about the Bank’s diversity-related policies and relevant legislation. The Bank strives to achieve this through contemporary policies, training and awareness-raising initiatives. The Bank keeps up to date on external equity and diversity matters through its diversity memberships and accreditations, to ensure its Diversity Program remains current. During the reporting period, the Bank participated in various activities of the Diversity Council Australia, an independent, not-for-profit diversity adviser to businesses in Australia. The Bank also renewed its membership with the Australian Network on Disability (a not-for-profit organisation which aims to advance the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of employment) and the NSW Equal Employment Opportunity Practitioners’ Association. The Bank was also re-accredited as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace by the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Policy initiatives

During the year the Bank reaffirmed its values through a revised Code of Conduct, which emphasises the principle of diversity and inclusion, including the harnessing of individual differences and diversity of thought. A specific reference to Respect, aims to reinforce expected workplace behaviours that ensure employees treat each other with courtesy and actively value each other’s views and contributions.

Training and awareness

The Bank actively promoted diversity through its leadership development programs to executive and senior management, including ethical decision-making workshops and unconscious bias and inclusive leadership programs. These programs support expected workplace behaviours and assist managers in embedding the Bank’s values.

During the reporting period, the Bank ensured that all employees are appropriately trained in their equity and diversity responsibilities. All employees completed training on the Code of Conduct and an online module on Workplace Behaviours, which reviews the Bank’s values, expected workplace behaviours, roles and responsibilities, anti-discrimination legislation and the Bank’s Diversity & Inclusion Program.

The Bank also raises equity and diversity awareness as part of the induction process for all new employees, which includes the Bank’s Code of Conduct, workplace behaviour and ethical decision-making training.


The Grievance Contact Officer network was promoted to all staff, including the addition and training of new members. Grievance Contact Officers received training in handling grievances, helping to bring them up to date with recent legislative changes.

Information on diversity is published within the Bank in a number of ways. These include face-to-face awareness sessions on diversity-related issues, topical articles in the monthly employee magazine, Currency, and the advertising of events in the weekly communications publication, This Week. Policy changes are communicated to staff as they occur via the newsletter, Staff Matters. Diversity-related policies, programs and resources, such as the Bank’s Diversity Plan, the Equity & Diversity Annual Report, recordings of training workshops and guides for employees on diversity matters are available on the Bank’s intranet page.

Data CollectionEquity and diversity information is sought from employees when they commence employment at the Bank. It is provided on a voluntary basis, and includes information on disability, ethnic origin and proficiency in languages other than English. The Bank’s equity and diversity statistics are based primarily on these data, which represent 92 per cent of employees who have disclosed their diversity details.

For potential employees of the Bank, the job application form contains an equity and diversity questionnaire, which allows the Bank to acquire a better understanding of the applicants from a diversity perspective, and to facilitate any reasonable adjustments that might be required, both during the recruitment process and subsequent employment.

The Reserve Bank’s Diversity ProfileAt the end of June 2013, the Reserve Bank employed 1 115 staff,1 an increase of 6 per cent from a year earlier. Most diversity groups have maintained a fairly constant share of employment at the Bank over the past decade (Graph 1). The exception to this has been an increase in employees from a non-English speaking background and a slight decrease of employees with a disability. Further information is provided in Section 2 of this Report.

1 Includes locally employed staff in overseas offices.

Graph 1

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20130

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Diversity Profile at the RBAPer cent of total staff, as at June

* Non-English speaking backgroundSource: RBA

Men

% %

Women

Staff born overseas from a NESB*

Staff with parent(s) from a NESB*

Indigenous AustraliansStaff with a disability


Work-life Balance

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank pursued initiatives relating to work-life balance, including the provision of training and access to flexible work arrangements.

Leadership development training was provided to senior managers on unconscious bias associated with employment-related decision-making. This leadership program generated discussion on the obstacles to promoting a more flexible workplace, including the difficulty of implementing more flexible and part-time arrangements. In response, the Bank commenced a project on workplace flexibility, in consultation with the Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee and a management project team, with the aim of understanding employees’ flexibility issues and building a culture that embraces workplace flexibility.

As part of the Bank’s 2011 Workplace Agreement, employees now have the opportunity to access a second year of parental leave absence as an entitlement. The Bank is a breastfeeding friendly workplace and provides a Parent Room for staff, including women returning to work from parental leave. The Bank was re-accredited by the Australian Breastfeeding Association during the reporting period.

To assist employees with work-life balance, as it relates to employee health and wellbeing, the Bank offers health assistance through its Work Health and Safety Program. This includes advice on work-related health matters, such as ergonomic assessments and rehabilitation case management in the event of a work-related injury. The Bank also offers support to employees and their families through the Employee Assistance Program. This service provides confidential professional counselling and support via an online portal, phone and face-to-face meetings. Employees continue to utilise this confidential facility, which is available for both work and non-work related matters, and includes a program for supervisors with employee-related concerns.

The Bank delivered a number of other initiatives as part of its Health & Wellbeing Program. A series of seminars was facilitated by relevant experts on a variety of health topics, including mental health, nutrition, immunity and heart health. The Bank also offered influenza vaccinations to employees. Additionally, 20 employees commenced a Health Challenge, a subsidised nine-week program which promotes a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance.

The Bank continued to provide fitness facilities and classes at Head Office, including Pilates, cardio boxing and yoga classes, as well as subsidised arrangements for employees in interstate and overseas offices. The Bank also supports employee sporting clubs by providing injury prevention training and grants.

Diversity Initiatives and Profile


Profile

To help monitor the work-life balance of its employees, the Bank looks at a number of different indicators, including:

• access to part-time work

• parental leave usage

• the use of carer’s leave

• the take-up of the Bank’s purchased leave scheme.

During 2012/13, 8 per cent of employees worked part-time. Some points to note about part-time employees include:

• The majority of employees working part-time do so for at least six days a fortnight (Graph 2). During this reporting period, 77 per cent of part-time employees worked six or more days each fortnight, compared with 71 per cent last year.

• While the vast majority of part-time working arrangements involve women, the share of men working part-time has increased over the past 10 years (Graph 3). The share of women working part-time has increased over the past three years.

• Employees working part-time are, on average, older than the median age of full-time employees and have generally worked at the Bank for longer (Table 1).

Table 1: Staff Age and TenureYears, as at 30 June 2013

Part-time staff

Full-time staff

Median age 43 36Median tenure 11 6Source: RBA

• The age profile of employees working part-time differs between men and women, with the majority of female employees working part-time aged in their thirties and forties whereas men working part-time tend to be in their late thirties or over 50 (Graph 4).

Graph 2

Source: RBA

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Number of Days Worked by Part-time StaffPer cent of total part-time staff*

%

Days worked per fortnight9

%

87654321

n Womenn Men

* Includes all staff who worked part-time during the year to June 2013

Graph 3

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20132003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20130

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Staff Working Part-timePer cent of total staff, year to June

Source: RBA

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%

Women

Men

Graph 4Age Profile of Part-time Staff

Per cent of total part-time staff*

Source: RBA

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%

Women

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* Includes all staff who worked part-time during the year to June 2013


• Professional and managerial employees accounted for 58 per cent of employees working part-time and clerical and administrative employees accounted for 38 per cent of employees working part-time.

• The incidence of part-time work is concentrated in the corporate and business services areas of the Bank (73 per cent), but is similar to their share of employment (68 per cent).

During the reporting period, a total of 49 employees commenced parental leave. There have been some changes in the use of parental leave provisions over recent years, including:

• Men have been the predominant users of parental leave over the past seven years, in contrast to the situation a decade ago (Graph 5).

• Women typically take a longer break from work than men, with 61 per cent of women returning from parental leave within 6 to 12 months (Graph 6). A smaller proportion of women (17 per cent) take more than a year’s parental leave, an option which was facilitated in 2009 when the right to request two years of parental leave was introduced. Of this, 14 weeks is fully paid leave for women and two weeks for men.

• Women returning from parental leave typically do so on a part-time basis (Graph 7). In the year to June 2013, all women returned to work at the conclusion of parental leave, with a higher proportion engaged in part-time work than has typically been the case.

To help support employees with children, the Bank offered support for childcare places at an accredited childcare centre in the central business district. As at June 2013, 10 employees were using the centre.

Leave for caring purposes was used by 39 per cent of employees in the year to June 2013, higher than the 10-year average (33 per cent). More men used carer’s leave than women, accounting for 56 per cent of employees using such provisions; however, this is similar to their overall representation at the Bank.

Graph 5Staff Commencing Parental Leave

Per cent of gender, year to June

Source: RBA

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20130

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Women

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Graph 6

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Duration of Parental LeavePer cent of staff returning from parental leave, year to June

Source: RBA

% %

2 weeksor less

n Womenn Men

>2–4weeks

24+months

3–5months

6–12months

>18–24months

>12–18months

1–2months

Graph 7

Source: RBA

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Women Completing Parental LeavePer cent of women completing parental leave, year to June

Resumedpart-time

%%

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Resigned

n Average (2003–2012)n 2013


The Bank’s purchased leave scheme assists employees with balancing work-life responsibilities. Some points to note about the scheme include:

• During the reporting period, 2 per cent of employees participated in the scheme, with women accounting for 68 per cent of users (Graph 8). The usage of the scheme by women has progressively increased over the past five years.

• The majority of employees participating in the purchased leave scheme requested two or four weeks of additional leave (Graph 9), and are professional and managerial employees.

• Around 56 per cent of users of the scheme were in their twenties and thirties.

• Around half of users accessed the scheme in both 2012 and 2013.

The Bank supports participation in philanthropic pursuits in a number of ways. In particular, it matches all donations made by employees through the Bank’s Benevolent Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Bank also has a Volunteer Day Program, where employees spend a day of leave helping at an eligible charity, and the Bank donates to that charity the equivalent of one day’s pay.

Gender

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank’s main gender focus was on promoting career and development opportunities for women in the Bank, which was further reinforced through the inclusion activities that stemmed from the unconscious bias leadership development program. A strong focus of the program was to understand whether there are any barriers in the Bank’s policies and practices that may hinder progression of women. As a first step, the Bank consulted with senior management to develop a competency framework that could assist in career planning and development of leaders across the organisation. A career planning program and resume writing workshop were piloted to assist employees identify strengths, preferences and to help with their career options.

The Bank supports women by providing external development and networking opportunities. During the reporting period, five women in non-managerial positions participated in the Springboard career and personal development program. Senior women also attended various external seminars, mentoring programs, executive education programs, conferences and International Women’s Day celebrations.

Graph 8

2009* 2010 2011 2012 20130

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Purchased Leave SchemePer cent of total users, by calendar year

* Scheme commenced in July 2009Source: RBA

%n Womenn Men

%

Graph 9

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Duration of Purchased LeavePer cent of total users in 2013

%

Source: RBA

%n Womenn Men

4321Weeks


To assist in attracting female candidates, the Bank actively promoted graduate opportunities through university networks and student societies, including the value of completing Honours studies in Economics and Finance. The Bank also established a recruitment presence on social networking websites.

Three female managers from the Bank mentored three university students as part of the 2013 Lucy Mentoring Program through the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney. The program aims to provide female university students with an insight into professional careers and to create work-related networks. The students participated in a 35-hour work placement, which included mentoring, exposure to various Bank functions and processes, networking with senior management and project work. The Bank will continue to participate in future Lucy Mentoring Programs.

Profile

Women accounted for 43 per cent of the Bank’s employees at the end of June 2013, which is comparable to the Australia-wide share of female employment (Graph 10).

By occupation, the Bank has evolved from an organisation predominantly comprising clerical administrative positions, to one predominantly professional in nature – a trend apparent in the financial sector more broadly. As a result, the majority of women at the Bank are now employed in professional positions, which is in contrast to the situation a decade ago (Graph 11).

Men continue to hold the majority of professional roles; women continue to dominate clerical administrative positions, holding around two-thirds of such positions (Graph 12). These proportions have changed little over the past decade.

Reflecting the shift towards professional occupations, a higher proportion of women and men are now managers than was the case a decade ago, with the difference being more apparent for women

Graph 10

Source: RBA2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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Female EmploymentPer cent of total employed, as at June

Australia-wide

%%

RBA

Graph 11

%

Occupation*Per cent of gender, as at June

2003 20130

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60

80

2003 20130

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80

* Excludes technicians and trade workers; community and personal service workersSource: RBA

%Womenn Professionaln Clerical Administrative

Menn Professionaln Clerical Administrative

Graph 12

Source: RBA2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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Employment of Women by OccupationAs at June

Clerical administrative(per cent of total clerical administrative positions)

%%

Professional(per cent of total professional positions)


(Graph 13). Women currently hold 29 per cent of managerial positions, up from 24 per cent a decade ago (Graph 14). One-third of Reserve Bank and one-quarter of Payments Systems Board positions, respectively, are held by females.

During the year to June 2013, 44 per cent of promotions were awarded to female employees, in line with their employment share of 43 per cent, and higher than the 10-year average of 40 per cent (Graph 15). Around 16 per cent of promotions awarded to women were to managerial positions, including executive management.

The Bank’s single largest recruitment drive each year is the Graduate Development Program. University graduates account for about a third of new recruits to the Bank each year and are an important source of professional and managerial employees. Typically, female graduates comprise around one-third of the total intake, a proportion that has been relatively constant over the past two decades (Graph 16). For the 2013 intake, female representation was at its highest in over 20 years, at 49 per cent.

Women accounted for 53 per cent of exits in the year to June 2013 (Graph 17). Half of these exits were from the professional occupation group.

Three-quarters of employees at the Bank have a post-secondary or tertiary educational qualification (Graph 18). Where differences exist, they are that:

• the HSC is the highest educational qualification for proportionately more women than men, reflecting the higher representation of women in clerical administrative roles

• proportionately more men than women hold a postgraduate qualification, although the share of women with a postgraduate qualification is increasing.

During the reporting period, the Bank’s Study Assistance Committee awarded four Post Graduate Study Awards, with one female employee and three male employees accepting the offers. There does not appear to be any gender differences in access to Bank-sponsored training, with the proportion of

Graph 13

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Managerial Positions by GenderPer cent of gender, as at June

Source: RBA

Women %% Men

2003 20132003 2013

Graph 14

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Source: RBA

%

Women in Managerial PositionsPer cent of total management positions, as at June

%

Graph 15

Source: RBA

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Female PromotionsYear to June

2013

Promotions%

(per cent of total promotions)

%

20112009200720052003

Female staff(per cent of total staff)


Graph 16

%

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Source: RBA

Female Graduate RecruitsPer cent of total graduate recruits

Average

%

Graph 17

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Female ExitsYear to June

Source: RBA

Female staff(per cent of total staff)

%%

Female exits(per cent of total exits)

Graph 18

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Highest Educational QualificationPer cent of gender, as at June 2013

Source: RBA

Postgraduate

%%

GraduatePost-secondary

Secondary

n Womenn Men

employees participating in such courses similar for both women and men (Graph 19).

During the reporting period, a higher proportion of women completed management programs, including the Central Banking Management and the New Managers programs, than has typically been the case. Of the 67 participants completing these programs, 21 were women.

Graph 19

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Training Participation*Per cent of gender, as at June

* Excludes Bank-sponsored study assistance, conferences, online learningmodules and information sessions

Source: RBA

Women%

Men%

Age

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank’s main age-related initiative was in relation to career management and transition-to-retirement programs for employees aged 45 years and above, including workshops and online retirement planning tools. This also involved retirement planning presentations from the Bank’s superannuation fund.

As part of the Bank’s Knowledge Management Strategy, interviews of current and retired employees continued, with the information being captured for transcription in an easy to search format for access by employees. Additional methods of knowledge capture from staff nearing retirement are being explored.


Profile

The age distribution of the Bank’s workforce has changed little over the past decade (Graph 20). Since 2003, there has been a modest increase in the average age of Bank employees, from 37 to 38 years, associated with a small increase in the proportion of workers over 65. This has been particularly pronounced for women where, in line with the trend for the general population, the proportion of female employees in the 55–59 age category increased from around 3 per cent in 2003 to 6 per cent in 2013.

Compared with the overall labour force, the Bank has a relatively young workforce; almost half of all employees are under the age of 35 (Graph 21). This is largely a result of the Bank’s hiring practices; around 40 per cent of hiring each year is of younger workers, in part reflecting the role of the graduate, cadetship and traineeship programs. To the extent that these programs remain important, and that these positions continue to be filled by younger people with a low average tenure, the Bank’s workforce is likely to remain relatively young for the foreseeable future.

An interesting feature of the Bank’s current age distribution is the very low share of workers 65 years or above; less than 10 per cent of employees are over 55, with only a few people 65 or above.

More broadly, as the general population and therefore the Bank’s hiring pool is ageing, it is likely that this will eventually be reflected in the Bank’s workforce. The average age of newly recruited employees has increased slightly over the past decade (Graph 22).

Over the past decade, the average tenure of employees at the Bank has shortened somewhat. Currently, 44 per cent of employees have spent less than five years at the Bank (Graph 23), compared with 39 per cent in 2003. The median tenure of employees is currently six years.

Employees eligible for retirement accounted for 12 per cent of exits during 2012/13 (Graph 24). The majority of employees leaving the Bank, however, do so before the age of 35, accounting for over half of total exits.

Graph 20Age Distribution of RBA Staff

Share of total, as at June 2013

Source: RBA

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65+55–6435–4425–34<25

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45–54Age group (years)

2003

2013

Graph 21

Sources: ABS; RBA

<25 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65+0

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Age DistributionShare of total, as at June 2013

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Total labour force

Age group (years)

Graph 22

<25 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65+0

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Recruitment by Age Group Share of total, year to June

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2013


Disability

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank’s focus relating to disability was on recruitment, provision of training and support resources, and enhancing the accessibility of communication materials and tools.

The Bank renewed its membership of the Australian Network on Disability, to promote the inclusion of employees with disabilities. The Bank also participated in the ‘Stepping Into…’ Program during 2013. The program aims to provide university

Graph 23

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Tenure ProfilePer cent of total staff, as at June 2013

Source: RBA

25+

% %

Years

n Womenn Men

20–24<1 15–1910–145–91–4

Graph 24

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Age at ExitPer cent of total exits, year to June 2013

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Age group (years)55+

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45–5435–4425–34<25

students with a disability with relevant workplace experience through a four-week paid internship. The Program will continue in the new financial year.

The Bank appointed two employees with a disability under the Federal Government’s traineeship scheme, which assists those without post-secondary qualifications to enter the workforce and gain certification. An important aspect of the program is ensuring that the applicant pool includes individuals with disabilities.

During the reporting period, the Bank continued to offer training aimed at raising awareness on disability and mental health in the workplace. This included workshops on disability in the workplace and mental fitness workshops for employees and managers, along with lunchtime information seminars on various health topics. Mental health awareness was raised through the promotion of R U OK day, which aims to encourage conversations about resilience and suicide prevention. Mental health first aid certificate training was provided to selected employees. The Bank has continued to closely monitor the new Work Health and Safety legislation with respect to psychosocial hazards and has developed a guide for managers on workplace behaviours and workplace bullying.

The Bank consults with and supports employees with disabilities by ensuring reasonable adjustments and accessibility options are available. Opportunities for seeking assistance for employees with a disability were promoted within the Bank, including JobAccess, a government initiative designed to provide workplace assessments for assistive technology and, where appropriate, funding for employees with a disability.

A number of accessibility-related initiatives were pursued during 2012/13. These included:

• updating online modules to better incorporate accessibility features

• enhancing the online accessibility training module


• reviewing the options for improving the process of requesting and purchasing assistive technologies

• reviewing the systems project governance framework so that accessibility is considered in the early stages of projects

• reviewing available software tools to assist in analysing the level of accessibility on websites

• reviewing the Museum of Australian Currency Notes to identify areas of improvement for visitors with a vision impairment

• ensuring the emergency procedures incorporate personal evacuation plans for employees with a disability.

A review of the Bank’s external website was conducted in 2012 which resulted in the identification of legacy PDF documents that were not fully accessible. The work to create accessible HTML versions of the legacy PDF files is progressing towards meeting the requirements of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Profile

The proportion of employees who identified themselves as having a disability was 3 per cent as at June 2013 (Graph 25). However, there may be some under-reporting, to the extent that some employees are unwilling to declare a disability, and data are provided on a voluntary basis. Employees identifying with a disability represented

6 per cent of all exits in the reporting period.

Graph 25

Source: RBA; data based on voluntary reporting by employees2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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Staff with a DisabilityPer cent of total staff, as at June

% %

Indigenous Australians

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank’s focus relating to Indigenous Australians was primarily on increasing the representation of employees from an Indigenous Australian background and promoting cultural awareness.

The Bank explored a number of avenues to increase the representation of people from an Indigenous Australian background, including:

• advertising all external job vacancies on an Indigenous Australian job board and the traineeship program in the Koori Mail

• highlighting opportunities for Indigenous applicants when advertising the cadetship program on graduate job boards

• recruiting one Indigenous Australian trainee in 2013 (33 Indigenous Australian recruits have now participated in this training since the traineeship scheme commenced in 1991).

The government’s Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme, which matched tutors with Indigenous university students, was promoted to employees as a means of raising cultural awareness and Indigenous community partnerships.


Graph 26

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20130

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0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Indigenous Australian StaffPer cent of total staff, as at June

Source: RBA

% %

Graph 27

* Non-English speaking backgroundSource: RBA

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 20130

10

20

30

40

0

10

20

30

40

Staff from a non-English Speaking BackgroundPer cent of total staff, as at June

%n Staff with parent(s) from a NESB*n Staff born overseas from a NESB

%

Race-ethnicity

Initiatives

During 2012/13, the Bank’s race-ethnicity focus was on creating a culture of inclusiveness through training and awareness-raising initiatives, including Harmony Day celebrations.

To raise employees’ awareness on Indigenous Australian history and culture, a workshop was held during the reporting period. The workshop slides and an audio recording were made available to all employees on the intranet. In addition, a selection of the Bank’s Indigenous artwork was displayed in the Museum of Australian Currency Notes during NAIDOC week celebrations in July. The Bank also hosted a Museum visit for 12 primary school children and their teachers from Willowra (Wirliyajarrayi), located 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs.

Profile

Indigenous Australians continue to account for a small proportion of employees, at 0.6 per cent (Graph 26). This is lower than the representation in the Australian community and the broader Australian workforce. It is, however, comparable to the proportion of Indigenous Australians working in occupational groups similar to those at the Bank.

The Bank continued to offer English language and writing skills coaching for employees from a non-English speaking background. Mandarin training was offered to employees, including those engaged in analysis of Asian economies.

Profile

The proportion of Bank employees who identified themselves as having been born overseas from a non-English speaking background has steadily increased over the past decade, maintaining its highest level during the reporting period, at 25 per cent (Graph 27).

The representation of these employees at the Bank is significantly higher than their representation in the Australian community and is also higher than that of the Australian workforce. The largest group of employees born overseas from a non-English speaking background are from China, followed by the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Fiji. Employees born overseas from a non-English speaking background represented 20 per cent of all employee exits in this reporting period.


Appendices

Diversity & Inclusion Policy Committee Terms of Reference

Role

The role of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee is to assist the RBA to achieve its aims relating to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Functions

The Committee has the following functions:

• make recommendations to the RBA on equity and diversity principles and policy

• set the priorities for and monitor the implementation of an equity and diversity program for the RBA, including reviewing the work of the Accessibility Consultative Group

• monitor and report periodically to the Governor on these matters.

Membership

The Committee has 10 members:

• Chairperson – appointed by the Governor

• Deputy Chairperson – Head of Human Resources (ex officio)

• Secretary – Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, Human Resources (ex officio)

• Employee Representatives (four) – appointed by a Subcommittee comprising three existing Committee members via expressions of interest from employees

• Union Representative – an employee nominated by the Reserve Bank Officers’ Section of the Finance Sector Union (and an alternate)

• Representative from the Accessibility Consultative Group (Chairperson, ex officio)

• Representative from the Diversity Contact Manager Network (Chairperson, ex officio).

Membership should include some representation from the various diversity groups as set out in the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987.

Membership will be for a period of 3-year terms for all positions, with the exception of ex-officio positions.


Meetings

The Committee will meet three times each year.

Membership as at 30 June 2013

Chairperson Keith Hall

Deputy Chairperson Melissa Hope

Secretary Marija Dumovic

Employee Representative Aaron Bovis

Employee Representative Bernadette Donovan

Employee Representative Alex Heath

Employee Representative Vacant

Union Representative Penny Smith

Union Representative (alternate) Jason Jux

Representative of the Accessibility Glen McLane Consultative Group – Chairperson

Representative of the Diversity Contact Marija Dumovic Manager Network – Chairperson


Statistical Tables

Representation within Classification LevelsAs at 30 June 2012 and 30 June 2013

Number (per cent of total employees within classification level)

Levels NESB1 NESB2 IA PWD Women Men Total Staff

12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Trainees 2 5 3 3 1 2 2 12 10 9 9 21 19

(11) (24) (16) (14) (5) (10) (11) (57) (53) (43) (47) (100) (100)

Cadets 1 2 9 7 6 8 15 15

(7) (13) (60) (47) (40) (53) (100) (100)

Graduates 15 14 4 3 1 24 37 45 43 69 80

(22) (18) (6) (4) (1) (35) (46) (65) (54) (100) (100)

L1 11 10 3 1 1 2 2 2 20 19 12 13 32 32

(34) (31) (9) (3) (3) (6) (6) (6) (63) (59) (38) (41) (100) (100)

L2 22 21 17 14 1 2 5 3 61 56 22 21 83 77

(27) (27) (20) (18) (1) (3) (6) (4) (73) (73) (27) (27) (100) (100)

L3 50 48 24 23 2 2 8 9 104 103 63 65 167 168

(30) (29) (14) (14) (1) (1) (5) (5) (62) (61) (38) (39) (100) (100)

L3/4 39 47 27 29 5 6 55 66 100 112 155 178

(25) (26) (17) (16) (3) (3) (35) (37) (65) (63) (100) (100)

L4 92 99 32 35 9 9 91 93 148 162 239 255

(38) (39) (13) (14) (4) (4) (38) (36) (62) (64) (100) (100)

L5 27 25 24 24 5 5 47 46 111 119 158 165

(17) (15) (15) (15) (3) (3) (30) (28) (70) (72) (100) (100)

L6 6 7 7 8 2 2 22 26 37 43 59 69

(10) (10) (12) (12) (3) (3) (37) (38) (63) (62) (100) (100)

Deputy Head 1 1 4 4 3 3 17 20 20 23(5) (4) (20) (17) (15) (13) (85) (87) (100) (100)

Department Headand above

1 1 1 1 8 8 19 20 27 28

(4) (4) (4) (4) (30) (29) (70) (71) (100) (100)

Total 263 275 149 147 7 7 40 38 456 474 589 635 1045 1109

(25) (25) (14) (13) (1) (1) (4) (3) (44) (43) (56) (57) (100) (100)Total excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with disabilities


Representation within Salary RangesAs at 30 June 2013

Number (per cent of total staff within salary range)

Salary NESB1 NESB2 IA PWD Women Men Total Staff

Below $40 000 2 5 1 2 17 16 33

(6) (15) (3) (6) (52) (48) (100)

$40 000–$49 999 4 1 2 1 14 9 23

(17) (4) (9) (4) (61) (39) (100)

$50 000–$59 999 18 8 2 3 38 19 57

(32) (14) (4) (5) (67) (33) (100)

$60 000–$69 999 27 13 2 70 47 117

(23) (11) (2) (60) (40) (100)

$70 000–$79 999 22 9 45 42 87

(25) (10) (52) (48) (100)

$80 000–$89 999 49 31 1 10 86 110 196

(25) (16) (1) (5) (44) (56) (100)

$90 000–$99 999 44 15 1 7 53 58 111

(40) (14) (1) (6) (48) (52) (100)

$100 000–$109 999 23 11 3 33 43 76

(30) (14) (4) (43) (57) (100)

$110 000–$119 999 39 15 2 29 70 99

(39) (15) (2) (29) (71) (100)

$120 000–$129 999 16 6 1 15 31 46

(35) (13) (2) (33) (67) (100)

$130 000–$139 999 11 4 2 13 45 58

(19) (7) (3) (22) (78) (100)

$140 000–$149 999 6 7 2 15 24 39

(15) (18) (5) (38) (62) (100)

$150 000 and over 14 22 3 46 121 167

(8) (13) (2) (28) (72) (100)

Total 275 147 7 38 474 635 1109

(25) (13) (1) (3) (43) (57) (100)

Total excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgrounds IA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with disabilities


Representation within Occupational GroupsAs at 30 June 2012 and 30 June 2013

Number (per cent of total staff within occupational group)

Occupational Group NESB1 NESB2 IA PWD Women Men Total Staff

12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Managers 8 9 14 14 3 2 34 36 79 85 113 121

(7) (7) (12) (12) (3) (2) (30) (30) (70) (70) (100) (100)

Professionals 177 189 87 93 20 20 233 257 396 431 629 688

(28) (27) (14) (14) (3) (3) (37) (37) (63) (63) (100) (100)

Clerical and Administrative Workers

58 54 41 35 7 7 14 13 171 161 70 71 241 232

(24) (23) (17) (15) (3) (3) (6) (6) (71) (69) (29) (31) (100) (100)

Technicians and Trade Workers

19 22 6 4 3 3 16 18 41 44 57 62

(33) (35) (11) (6) (5) (5) (28) (29) (72) (71) (100) (100)

Community and Personal Services

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 5

(25) (20) (25) (20) (50) (40) (50) (60) (100) (100)

Machinery Operators and Drivers

1 1 1 1

(100) (100) (100) (100)

Total 263 275 149 147 7 7 40 38 456 474 589 635 1045 1109

(25) (25) (14) (13) (1) (1) (4) (3) (44) (43) (56) (57) (100) (100)

Total excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with a disability


RecruitmentYear to 30 June 2012 and 30 June 2013

Number


12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Managers 2 1 1 2 3 5 4 7

Professionals 28 20 4 8 1 1 35 39 61 60 96 99

Clerical and Administrative Workers 2 5 6 1 3 1 4 2 25 22 6 13 31 35

Technicians and Trade Workers 5 3 4 1 3 2 8 6 11 8

Community and Personal Services 1 1

Machinery Operators and Drivers 1 1 0

Total(per cent of total recruitment)

35 30 15 10 3 1 5 3 64 65 79 85 143 150

(24) (20) (10) (7) (2) (1) (3) (2) (45) (43) (55) (57) (100) (100)

Figures are based on total staff recruitment and includes trainees, cadets and graduates; excludes renewal of contract and cadets rehired as graduatesTotal excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with a disability


SeparationsYear to 30 June 2012 and 30 June 2013

Number (per cent of total)


12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Managers 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 5 2 6 3

(17) (33) (33) (17) (33) (17) (33) (83) (67) (100) (100)

Professionals 16 12 6 4 1 20 20 36 23 56 43(29) (28) (11) (9) (2) (36) (47) (64) (53) (100) (100)

Clerical and Administrative Workers

6 2 6 3 1 1 3 16 18 5 7 21 25

(29) (8) (24) (14) (4) (5) (12) (76) (72) (24) (28) (100) (100)


2 1 2 1 3 1 8 3 11 4(18) (9) (50) (9) (27) (25) (73) (75) (100) (100)



1(100)

1(100)

Sales Workers

Labourers

Total(per cent of total departures)

25 15 9 12 3 1 3 5 40 40 55 35 95 75

(26) (20) (9) (16) (3) (1) (3) (7) (42) (53) (58) (47) (100) (100)

Figures are based on total staff terminations, excluding retirements Excludes staff rehired at end of contract and cadets rehired as graduates Total excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with a disability


RetirementsYear to 30 June 2011 and 30 June 2012

Number


12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Managers 1 2 2

Professionals 3 1 2 2 2 3 4 5

Clerical and Administrative Workers 1 2 1 5 1 1 5




Sales Workers

Labourers

Total(per cent of total departures)

5 2 2 2 7 5 3 7 10

(71) (20) (29) (29) (70) (71) (30) (100) (100)

Figures are based on total staff retirements, redundancies above retirement age and early retirements Total excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEY

NESB1 People from non-English speaking backgrounds NESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with a disability


PromotionsYear to 30 June 2012 and 30 June 2013

Number


12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13 12 13

Managers 1 1 2 1 4 3 11 8 15 11

Professionals 15 12 9 7 1 25 20 31 40 56 60

Clerical and Administrative Workers 1 5 3 3 1 12 19 3 4 15 23

Technicians and Trade Workers 1 1 1 3 1 4



Total(per cent of total promotions)

17 14 16 11 0 3 0 2 41 43 46 55 87 98

(20) (14) (18) (11) (0) (3) (0) (2) (47) (44) (53) (56) (100) (100)

Excludes locally employed staff in overseas offices

KEYNESB1 People from non-English speaking backgroundsNESB2 People with parent(s) from non-English speaking backgroundsIA Indigenous AustraliansPWD People with disabilities

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